Several road surveillance cameras in Kozhikode city on the blink

Road surveillance cameras remain inactive at several locations in Kozhikode city, making it difficult for road users and the police to gather digital evidence in vehicle theft and hit-and-run cases. A shortage of funds for renewing long-term maintenance contracts is reportedly delaying their replacement.

The situation is much the same with some of the road cameras installed along State and national highways to detect speed limit violations. Following the six-laning works, many of the surveillance cameras installed earlier have become non-functional. These include cameras installed by the Motor Vehicles department and the Traffic police.

“In some recent hit-and-run cases, complainants had to rely on private closed-circuit television cameras to gather digital evidence. The lack of adequate backup for the existing cameras is also an issue that the police should take up seriously,” says a Trauma Care volunteer in the city. He points out that many underage riders and speed limit violators are now aware of locations that fall outside the camera network.

The condition of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at various locations also needs to be examined, according to some ambulance operators in the city. They claim that footage from these cameras is rarely used to detect traffic violations because of their faulty functioning.

The replacement of outdated cameras with poor zoom and image clarity is also being neglected due to a shortage of funds. Besides those affected by normal wear and tear, several cameras have been damaged by miscreants and need to be reinstalled to improve surveillance.

Meanwhile, police sources say efforts are under way to repair faulty surveillance cameras and install an additional 200 cameras to identify hotspots for traffic violations and drug trafficking. The Corporation authorities have also agreed to cooperate with the project, they add.

A senior police officer confirms that the authorities plan to install at least 100 cameras equipped with ANPR technology to accurately detect traffic violations. Locations have already been identified based on the frequency of violations, he adds.